It was very funny. Today when i was walking home from school i saw a mantis that was taking on like 15 ants at a time. It was so funny to watch because the ants were no match against the mantids lightning fast strikes.The strikes were one shot one kill. To make it better the ants were harvester ants which are pretty big and tough. The funny part is that the ants didnt lay a finger on the mantid. From seing this it opened my eyes on how fast and skilled mantises are.
mantis vs ants
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Emile.Wilson
Well-known member
I didn't know that ants had fingers, intresting fact there.
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
You make the same mistake that I sometimes do, Emil. You read at such blazing speed that you sometimes misunderstand the post.
First, don't tell your schoolmates that ants have fingers. Ants do not have fingers. Children your age can be quite pointlessly cruel at times, and they would most probably laugh at you and even make up a derisive song about the incident.
In fact, aje88 never said that ants have fingers, merely that they did not lay a finger of any sort, be it human, the fickle finger of fate or the digitus impudicus of Roman fame upon the mantis, and I have no doubt that this was true. I was interested by the fact that he identified the ants as harvesters, which do not leave a formic acid trail and are sometimes eaten by a hungry mantis. I have seen Stagmomantis limbata do this myself.
Interesting story, aje!
First, don't tell your schoolmates that ants have fingers. Ants do not have fingers. Children your age can be quite pointlessly cruel at times, and they would most probably laugh at you and even make up a derisive song about the incident.
In fact, aje88 never said that ants have fingers, merely that they did not lay a finger of any sort, be it human, the fickle finger of fate or the digitus impudicus of Roman fame upon the mantis, and I have no doubt that this was true. I was interested by the fact that he identified the ants as harvesters, which do not leave a formic acid trail and are sometimes eaten by a hungry mantis. I have seen Stagmomantis limbata do this myself.
Interesting story, aje!
I dont know which story was better?
Schloaty
Well-known member
Phil, you have a gift for entertaining text! :lol:
I'm interested in the one shot, one kill thing....
Most of the time, when see mantids strike, it doesn't kill the victim. That's usually accomplished by the gnawing.
Having your head eaten certainly WILL kill you.
But the mantis must have been employing a different striking pattern to kill with the foreclaws....like a downward swipe or something, rather than a grabbing motion.
Did you happen to notice a difference in striking technique?
I'm interested in the one shot, one kill thing....
Most of the time, when see mantids strike, it doesn't kill the victim. That's usually accomplished by the gnawing.
Having your head eaten certainly WILL kill you.
But the mantis must have been employing a different striking pattern to kill with the foreclaws....like a downward swipe or something, rather than a grabbing motion.
Did you happen to notice a difference in striking technique?
When my chinese nymphs first hatched I tried feeding them black harvester ants.... Big Mistake. Ants are strong little guys!
